Security is a concern for any communication network, especially in a wireless environment. There is a major concern with respect to security in wireless communication networks as they are easily susceptible to security threats from an external intruder device also known as a rogue device. The rogue device can act like an authorized access point in the wireless communication network and thereby eavesdrop or spoof the wireless communication network. There are various methods to detect a rogue device in a wireless communication network.
In one method, client devices in the wireless communication network can scan for beacons from a rogue device and thereby detect it. However, this method is passive in nature because the client device has to wait for a beacon from the rogue device in order to detect it. In another method, the wireless communication network can employ radio frequency scanning by employing sensors in the wireless communication network. However, the drawback with this method is there is a possibility of missing the detection of rogue devices if present in an area not covered by the sensor. In one another method, access points in the wireless communication network can scan for the rogue device, however, this is limited to a very short range
Accordingly, there is a need for a method and apparatus for detecting a rogue access point in a communication network.
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The apparatus and method components have been represented where appropriate by conventional symbols in the drawings, showing only those specific details that are pertinent to understanding the embodiments of the present invention so as not to obscure the disclosure with details that will be readily apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art having the benefit of the description herein.